Berkeley - Cal head coach Tom Holmoe completed his coaching staff Monday with the announcement that he has hired Ed White as offensive line coach.

White, 51, is regarded as one of the premier offensive line technicians in the game, as both a All-pro player in the NFL for 17 seasons and as a coach on both the college and professional levels.

He comes to Cal after serving the past season on the St. Louis Rams staff, working under Dick Vermeil. Prior to that, he spent the previous four seasons on Ted Tollner's staff at San Diego State, where he developed several pro products including first round draft choice Kyle Turley, currently with the New Orleans Saints.

"Having Ed White join our staff is a huge addition for us," said Holmoe. "He's not only a great developer of offensive linemen, but he's a terrific person. The fit is really great. We have a very young offensive line and there's nobody better in the business in developing young players than Ed White. This is a big step for our offense."

White is returning to his roots as he was an All-American at Cal, lettering as a Golden Bear from 1965-68. He actually earned his national honors at Cal on the defensive line, before he made the very successful switch to the offensive line as a pro. While at Cal, his defensive line coach was Bill Dutton, who coincidentally returned as the Golden Bear defensive line coach last season.

White said his desire to work with young players prompted his move back to college and being able to return to his alma mater was another major factor. "I really missed the college level and being able to work with and develop young people and the who college atmosphere," said White. "Life sometimes circles back and it's really a neat thing to be a part of Cal football again.

"It's an exciting time at Cal with what's going on defensively and I'm real thrilled about the opportunity to come in fresh and work with the offensive staff to get put things together."

Ram head coach Dick Vermeil was sorry to see White leave the St. Louis organization. "It's always disappointing when you lose a good young coach," said Vermeil. "He did a good job and was well-liked by the players."

White prepped at Indio HS before coming to Cal in the mid-1960's. He developed into one of the greatest defensive linemen in Cal history, picking up consensus All-America honors as a senior noseguard in 1968. He graduated from Cal in '68 with a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture.

Moving to offensive guard in the pros, he went on to play 241 games on the professional level, the 11th highest total in NFL history. He was with the Minnesota Vikings from 1969 to '77 and then moved over to the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to '85. He played in four Pro Bowls (1975, '76, '77 and '79) as well as four Super Bowls.

He coached for the Chargers from 1986-87 and again from 1989-91 with a stintwith the L.A. Rams in 1988. He spent four seasons on Ted Tollner's San Diego State staff from 1994-97, developing several of the top offensive lines in school history.
White and his wife Joan, have two children, Timmy and Randy.